BethFromVA

You didn't sound whiny at all. I don't know that there is anybody here who hasn't had questions, doubts, or downright second thoughts. If we knew for sure that this surgery (or any other WLS) was a sure thing for every single person, and easy to boot, what would there be to think about? It's the questioning that you do that gets you answers that help you with your decision. It's funny, because when I told my mom about my surgery (after I had it, not before [but then again I don't have a kid issue like you do]), she cried tears of joy. She had been trying to get me to get WLS for a while, but whenever she mentioned it, I thought she meant gastric bypass, which was a huge "no way" from me.

Can I ask, mom2two: Did you get banded to lose 48 pounds? I'm more curious than anything, promise. I hope they figure something out. I've never been sure who pays if there is an issue with the band. Here's hoping it won't be you.

WHY do these doctors do this, except that it pays more??? Okay, I'm not going to try to talk you into or out of anything, but I will offer up what I thought of when doing my own research. The band is less invasive, and it certainly is not permanant re-routing of your insides. With the band, you can still eat healthy and well, but with gastric you are essentially being malnourished into weightloss. For me it was a no brainer. Even IF the band failed me at some point, I would likely go with the sleeve. Granted, it's a permanent change, but it's not re-routing your intestines and removing all but just what you need to live. That's my take on it. Will you lose weight faster with gastric? It's possible, yes. Not always certain, but possible. However, if that's all you're looking at (and I don't know that you are, it's simply hypothetical), then maybe you need to continue researching. We all have to look at the overall quality of life more than just the numbers on the scale.

Omg, Plain! Guess you'll need a bike with a Barcalounger seat then. You know, it just doesn't sound the same when we women talk about our huge genitals. I think of hoo-has that look like blow-up rafts or something. Kinda disgusting, really... :thumbup:

Okay, MacMadame, I hafta tell ya -- I bow at your feet, woman! I got on my bike today for the first time in years, and between two different rides I rode 16 miles. My ass hurts like I've been spanked relentlessly -- and not in that good way -- and I won't even get into how my hoo-ha is feeling. :thumbup: The last mile of my second ride (9 miles) I almost didn't make it home. Between the butt pain and sheer fatigue, I was afraid I was gonna have to call hubby and ask him to ride up the road and come get me.

Shoot, if it's written by a CNN reporter, you may as well take what he says and DOUBLE the stats. :thumbup:

So those who share your take on politics are stupid? Good, then we agree! :cursing: And comedy? Yeah, not so much. :cursing:

DIVA!!! How you been??? :cursing:

You sure do hiss and spit more than my butt boils, dat's fo sho! :cursing: Just can't do it. He's funny, entertaining, and, oh yeah, intelligent. :cursing:

Lika a boil on my butt! :cursing:

You got 3 cc?? I've had six fills and am only up to 4.6 cc. Don't complain! Besides, fills done too aggressively can cause major problems. If you want to lose the weight sooner, work hard right now to limit what you eat. Don't rely so solely on the band that you don't train yourself what to do.

AH, gotcha! Thanks for clarifying!

AHHHHhhhhhahahahahaha!!!!! LOVE IT!!! :laugh:

Hehe, yeah, that's pretty much why I've abandoned this thread as well.

So... exactly what have you gotten in life by showing your boobs?

Jachut: How do you lose 120% of your excess weight? I'm confused... does that mean that you lost 20% more than you originally hoped you would?

*raises hand* I DID! I DID! Were you at least out having fun? Running super-marathons? Swimming English channels? Scaling huge mountains? :redface:

I don't get the fibromyalgia thing, but the other one I take to mean that if a parent hosts a party for teens that has alcohol, they risk losing a lot.

I'm crossing my fingers for you!! :redface:

Maybe if you had flirted back... :Banane01:

I've been thinking of going back, but only for the meetings/support. Certainly we can't eat the way WW suggests due to restriction, but I have thought all along that it's necessary to have some form of support/counseling along with anything else we're doing. THis may be the cheaper route than going to a therapist that deals with eating disorders.

Ya just keep tossing FOX out there, don'tcha? Funny, it's the ONLY one you seem to have issues with. Why? Because you know all the others are left-wing numbnuts. And for the umpteenth time, I don't have cable so I'm not "brainwashed" by FOX as you are by all the left-wing media. Talk about suckas! :purplebananna:

Bubbly, you ought to ask whoever is saying these things how many times they've been on WW. That oughtta shut them up. :purplebananna:

Wait -- my doctor saw me NEKKID?? :Banane01: But I digress... this decision is yours. I don't try to talk anybody into or out of this surgery. However, everybody here is right -- this is a place to vent about problems. The number of success stories overwhelm the number of issues, and let's be honest -- a lot of those "issues" are created by the banded because they don't follow the rules or try to make the band do all the work, wailing that if they wanted to go on a diet, blah blah blah. Cry me a river. There ARE legitimate issues where people did everything right and the band gave them fits. It does happen and can't be avoided. But again, those numbers in relation to success stories are minor. That said, you need to determine what is important to you and if the failure rate is enough to make you re-think this. Nobody should tell you what to do -- all they can do is tell you how their experiences have been so that you can take away all information and come to your own conclusion. It was for this very reason that NOBODY knew I was going to have surgery until I had made up my own mind based on my research. Hubby didn't know, friends didn't know, and family didn't know. As it is, only a few people know about my surgery, but that is another topic. The fact is, I didn't want others swaying me either way. Maybe do yourself a favor and visit the "Before and After" board or a board where people have lost 100 pounds or more. Get some good info into ya. :purplebananna: As for me, it's almost been a breeze. I'm still having to re-learn HOW I eat -- slow down and make sure my bites are small and well-chewed -- but beyond that, I'm very happy. I'm a few days away from 6 months out and I'm down 61.5 pounds.

I always thought PCOS was a co-morbidity, but if it's iffy, I hope for you it works in your favor. Good luck!